Mumbai: The long awaited Goregaon-Mulund Link Road project, envisioned as a game changer for east-west connectivity in Mumbai, is now likely to be completed only by 2028, delaying much needed relief for daily commuters. Once opened to traffic, the 12.20 kilometre corridor is expected to reduce travel time between Goregaon and Mulund from nearly 90 minutes to around 20 minutes, significantly easing congestion on existing arterial routes.
According to a report by Loksatta, the ambitious project is being executed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and will connect the Western Express Highway at Goregaon to the Eastern Express Highway at Mulund. The link is aimed at providing a direct cross city route, cutting through the bottlenecks that currently slow down traffic across the suburbs.
Planned in four phases, the project features a combination of complex engineering components, including an elevated circular road, a major flyover and a twin tube underground tunnel. Civic officials have described it as one of the most technically challenging urban road developments presently underway in Mumbai.
While the extended timeline may disappoint motorists hoping for quicker relief, officials maintain that the scale and complexity of the work necessitate careful execution to ensure long term durability and safety.
A key component of Phase III is the construction of a 13-metre-diameter underground tunnel passing beneath the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and Aarey Colony. 48 per cent of the Goregaon-Mulund flyover work has been completed so far, while tunnel excavation stands at 18 per cent, as reported by Loksatta.
The GMLR will also integrate with the proposed Versova-Dahisar Coastal Road, strengthening connectivity between South Mumbai, the western suburbs and the eastern suburbs. This extended network is expected to offer an additional travel option for commuters travelling between Dahisar, Mulund and Thane. The combined completion timeline for both the GMLR and the Versova-Dahisar Coastal Road has been set for July 2029.
However, delays have drawn scrutiny. The civic administration had initially targeted completion of the flyover between Dindoshi Court and Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari before the monsoon, with plans to open it to traffic by May 31, 2026. Citing slow progress, the BMC has imposed a penalty of ₹50 lakh on the contractor for failing to maintain the expected pace of construction.
Currently, east-west connectivity in Mumbai relies heavily on the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road, Andheri-Ghatkopar Link Road and Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road, all operating beyond capacity due to rising vehicular pressure. The GMLR is envisioned as the fourth major east-west corridor to decongest these routes.
A budgetary provision of ₹2,650 crore has been earmarked for the project in the 2026–27 civic budget.
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